Which USB output..??

[Peder]

Hi...
A question to @Stephen Healy @DanCollier.
What type of USB output does the new InnuOs series have, from Stream 1 up to Nazaré.?
USB-A or USB-C, or possibly both.

The previous product line had USB-A output on all products.

 

[DanCollier]

Hi,

Every system includes at least USB A output for connecting to a USB DAC or for backups/imports. All USB ports can be used interchangably.
I recommend checking the product page on our website, which lists all available outputs for whichever product you wish to know more about. You can see this in the example below for the STREAM 1 here: https://innuos.com/stream1/

 

[Peder]

Hi,

Every system includes at least USB A output for connecting to a USB DAC or for backups/imports. All USB ports can be used interchangably.
I recommend checking the product page on our website, which lists all available outputs for whichever product you wish to know more about. You can see this in the example below for the STREAM 1 here: https://innuos.com/stream1/

View attachment 569

Thanks Dan ...

I have spoken to Burson Audio about this,.they only have USB-C in, on their DACs for example, not USB-B.

The problem then becomes,.that it becomes almost impossible to use a better USB-cable for their various DACs.
Unfortunately,.there are only better USB cables in the USB-A to USB-B version
Vertere made one in their entry-level series D-FI,.but it was discontinued due to low demand.

Then you have to use an adapter, USB-B to USB-C.
BUT, it took me two years to find one in China.
Which only after modification by me sounded good, and could be used, see picture below.

USB-C is supposed to be a better connector according to those who know this.
But problems arise when cable manufacturers do not deliver, perhaps due to low demand.

The problem for us customers is when some manufacturers are "ahead of their time"...
And deliver a product with a better USB input, for which there is no better cable.

But the result of my conversations with Burson Audio,.is that they will produce a good USB-B to USB-C adapter .

 

[DanCollier]

Yes, I’ve noticed a few brands are doing this now. Devialet, for example, are offering it on the new Astra.

AudioQuest are one of the few brands I can think of that still produce a premium USB cable with a USB C termination, as you can get up to Diamond in their range with USB C

The challenge with USB C, I imagine, is that the connector is much smaller than a USBA or USBB, which means the overall cable design ends up being more compact than traditional ones etc

 

[DanCollier]

Audioquest also make a USB A to C adapter I believe Nordost do too

 

[Peder]

Audioquest also make a USB A to C adapter I believe too as do Nordost

But thanks a lot Dan...

I must have missed that, I'll have to check out their website immediately.
Thanks again

 

[LionCiti]

Hi. I have Zen Next Gen. On the product page, its USB ports are apparently labeled for a particular connection, DAC, Aux and backup. Are these interchangeable as well?

The Aux USB port is pretty close to the LAN port, thus the normal cable I used to connect to usb drive for ripping can’t fit in. Can only connect to the backup port.
Any issue there?

Thanks

 

[Stephen Healy]

Those USB ports on the main board are indeed interchangeable, they are labelled for convenience and identification more than anything.

 

[LionCiti]

Those USB ports on the main board are indeed interchangeable, they are labelled for convenience and identification more than anything.

Thank you. Thus I can connect to 2 usb DACs as well?

 

[DanCollier]

Thank you. Thus I can connect to 2 usb DACs as well?

You can certainly, just not play to them simultaneously as you'll have to manually switch between them in Sense audio settings.

 

[Marco1]

Hi Dan:
As you know I just replaced the Phoenix USB board on my Pulsar. While I was waiting on the part to arrive from Portugal I listened quite a bit through one of the Aux. USB ports. So, I got a pretty good sense of the improvement the Phoenix board makes. My question now, while a little off subject of this thread, is how much of an improvement the new Zen NX will make over the Pulsar both using the Phoenix board. I’m currently considering the upgrade and finding a Zen NX to audition and compare to my Pulsar is a real challenge. So I’m wondering how the upgrade from the Pulsar to the Zen NX would compare to the upgrade from listening to the Pulsar through an Aux. USB vs. listening to the Pulsar through the Phoenix USB. Can you somehow put the two upgrades into perspective?
Thanks, Mark J

 

[Stephen Healy]

Hi Dan:
As you know I just replaced the Phoenix USB board on my Pulsar. While I was waiting on the part to arrive from Portugal I listened quite a bit through one of the Aux. USB ports. So, I got a pretty good sense of the improvement the Phoenix board makes. My question now, while a little off subject of this thread, is how much of an improvement the new Zen NX will make over the Pulsar both using the Phoenix board. I’m currently considering the upgrade and finding a Zen NX to audition and compare to my Pulsar is a real challenge. So I’m wondering how the upgrade from the Pulsar to the Zen NX would compare to the upgrade from listening to the Pulsar through an Aux. USB vs. listening to the Pulsar through the Phoenix USB. Can you somehow put the two upgrades into perspective?
Thanks, Mark J

So, although the base PhoenixUSB board is essentially the same in the PULSAR and the ZEN Next-Gen, everything else that goes around it is different which does indeed make a difference to sound. The technical differences would be:
- The way the PhoenixUSB receives its own power rail; the ZEN NG benefits from the new generation of higher-speed NGaN power regulation.
- The connection method from the PhoenixUSB to the mainboard is different, with the NG using a more direct and higher bandwidth connector (this is actually important to remember, because it means you cannot directly transfer an existing PhoenixUSB from a PULSAR straight into a Next-Gen, the dealer should contact Innuos in this situation).
- The overall PreciseAudio board of the ZEN NG is a lot more sophisticated than the board used in the PULSAR, with much deeper-level customisation which also gets the benefits of the OS-level Real-Time Kernel and AudioCore features.

I do not have the 2 here side by side to give you a hugely descriptive A/B comparison, but the Next-Gens are, I would say, characterised by a very, very clear and high-clarity sound that also continues the trend of ever widening/increasing soundstage and separation as you move up the range.
I'd still recommend trying to demo the comparison if you can, and none of the above is meant to sound negative against the PULSAR; indeed, at its price/performance level I always regarded the PULSAR as incredibly competitive.

 

[Marco1]

Thanks Stephen. I do want to demo the Zen NX and even try to compare it to my Pulsar. My dealer does not have one and I’ve called some other dealers without success. Can you ask your distributor for the Washington DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland USA area what dealer might have one to audition or might have one on order for delivery in the foreseeable future? Another option might be if they know of a dealer that has sold one in my area. If by chance the customer might be willing to host a listening season that would also work. Thanks again.